Category: News

Shapiro Administration Announces Plan to Provide Food Access For Students During Summer Break (January, 10, 2024)

After securing universal free breakfast for public school students as part of the 2023-24 budget, the Shapiro Administration is working to ensure students continue to receive healthy meals during the summer. As a result, the Departments of Human Services (DHS) and Education (PDE) announced the Commonwealth’s intent to operate the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (Summer-EBT) program in summer 2024, allowing children to access nutritious meals during the summer months when school is not in session. 

The 2023-24 budget delivers a $46.5 million increase to provide universal free breakfast to Pennsylvania’s 1.7 million public school students. Due to this increase, every public school student regardless of income will be eligible to receive free breakfast. The funding also provides free lunch to all 22,000 Pennsylvania students who are eligible for reduced-price lunches through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). 

The Summer-EBT program was created by the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 to provide school aged children who are income eligible for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) with an additional source of nutrition during the summer months when children are not in school to receive school meals.  

The total Summer-EBT benefit is set by federal law at $40 per month per eligible child to cover the three summer months – June, July, and August. Pennsylvania will be issuing the Summer EBT benefit as a single $120 issuance with all benefits issued by September 30, 2024. Summer-EBT benefits will be issued on a family’s existing EBT card, if possible, or a new EBT card will be issued to newly eligible families. 

An estimated 600,000 to 900,000 children will be automatically issued Summer-EBT benefits based on their eligibility for Free or Reduced-Priced meals under the NSLP.  

The groups of children who will be eligible for Summer-EBT include: 
-Children who are determined income eligible for Free or Reduced-Priced meals under the NSLP by applying through their school. 
-Children who are categorically eligible for NSLP because they are a foster child, a homeless child, or a runaway and they attend an NSLP participating school. 
Children who are eligible for Free or Reduced-Priced meals under the NSLP through direct certification. -Directly certified children are children who are receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits or certain Medical Assistance eligibility.  
-If a child eligible through direct certification is aged six through seventeen, they will qualify for Summer-EBT regardless of whether they attend an NSLP participating school.  
-If a child eligible through direct certification is aged five or younger or aged eighteen or older, they will qualify only if they are enrolled in an NSLP participating school. 

Since most eligible children will be enrolled in Summer-EBT automatically, only a limited number of families will need to submit an application. Applications for Summer-EBT will need to be submitted to DHS’ County Assistance Offices to determine eligibility.  

Applications for Summer-EBT are not yet available The application process and additional details will be detailed further in the coming months. 

Schools that do not currently participate in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs are encouraged to do so and can find information for applying on the PDE website.  

Additional information on the Summer-EBT program can be found by clicking here.

PA DHS Leader Elected To NASDDS Position (January 9, 2024)

Department of Human Services (DHS) has announced Kristin Ahrens’, Deputy Secretary for the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), appointment to board member-at-large at the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS). Kristin was elected by her peer state directors to help shape the work of NASDDDS in assisting member state agencies in building person-centered and culturally and linguistically appropriate systems of services and supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

Under Ahrens’ leadership, DHS’ ODP serves more than 58,000 Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities and autism. Ahrens has worked to expand DHS’ support for people with intellectual disabilities and autism increasing the number of individuals enrolled in ODP’s home and community based service waivers by more than 4,100. She has also overseen the Commonwealth’s increased ability to serve individuals in the community by modernizing program regulations and strengthening county infrastructure and staffing to accommodate the growth in the intellectual disabilities and autism home and community-based waiver programs.

In September, at the direction of Governor Shapiro, DHS began updating the data used to set rates for home and community-based services for Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities and autism. This process is needed to ensure that the rates for home and community-based services enable providers to set wages that support and retain qualified, dedicated staff who help individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism. This reassessment is the latest effort by the Shapiro Administration to support and advocate for the intellectual disabilities and autism community. NASDDDS represents the nation’s agencies that provide services to children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Their work promotes leadership, systems innovation, and the development of national policies that support home and community-based services for individuals with disabilities and their families. For more information, visit www.nasddds.org.

2023-24 SY RISC 3rd Qtr Reporting is Underway (January 7, 2024)

The Restraint Information System Collection (RISC) is open for data entry for the third quarter.

The Bureau of Special Education (BSE) continues to require LEAs to report the restraints that occurred in each quarter. This reporting process permits LEAs to report restraints in a timely manner which, in turn, allows LEAs to monitor patterns of episodic behaviors and address them accordingly. The 2nd Qtr Zero Window closed on 1/15/24.

The third quarter window dates are as follows:
Qtr 3
Begin Date: 1/01/2024
End Date: 3/31/2024
Last Day to Report: 4/14/2024
Zero Window Opens: 4/01/2024
Zero Window Closes: 4/14/2024

A RISC reporting webinar is posted at apps.leaderservices.com/_risc/index.aspx. This RISC reporting webinar link is located below the login box of the Leader Services RISC sign-in page. This webinar explains the reporting and investigation process and how to use the RISC program. The webinar also shares how to update your LEA’s contact information. All parties involved with RISC are highly encouraged to view this webinar to learn how to report restraints, how to use the system, and to understand the regulatory responsibility of LEAs.

Additionally, the Bureau of Special Education has recently updated the Restraint Information System of Collection (RISC) Program Guidelines. The “RISC Program Guidelines” are available for review on the RISC website.

Questions regarding RISC should be directed to Keith Focht: 717-783-6921 or â€‹[email protected] or to the RISC Resource Account – [email protected]. 

Schools Challenged by Increase in Respiratory Illnesses (January 6, 2024)

As the winter break has ended and students and staff have returned to school, a number of schools went on heightened alert as respiratory illnesses increased in their communities.

According to K-12 Dive, while some communities are currently experiencing a rise in respiratory illnesses, the trend doesn’t seem to compare to the disruptions schools experienced from illnesses in fall 2022. During that period, a “tripledemic” of COVID, flu, and RSV caused some schools to pause in-person learning or revert to pandemic-era protocols for safety and learning.

Presently, as good practice health officials are advocating preventative measures like frequent handwashing and vaccinations to help minimize spread of COVID-19, flu, and RSV.

For more from K-12 Dive, click here.